Chance The Rapper Donates $1 Million To Chicago Public Schools

Chance the Rapper continued his fight for Chicago Public Schools by donating $1 million to the district that helped raise him. Speaking at a press conference at Oliver S. Westcott Elementary in Chicago on Monday (March 6), the Grammy-winning MC announced the news.

“Today, I am proud to announce that I am donating $1 million to CPS,” he said. “This donation was made possible by my fans, through ticket sales for my upcoming tour and an unprecedented coordination from Live Nation, AEG, and Ticketmaster, competing corporations who were able to band together — also with independent promoters and venues across the country — to use funds from ticket sales to donate to CPS…I’m honored to make this donation to Chicago Public Schools Foundation and help cultivate Chicago creative minds.”

The aid doesn’t stop there. In addition to the million-dollar donation, Chance said that his foundation, Social Works, will donate $10,000 to a specific public school for every $100,000 that’s raised, beginning with Oliver S. Westcott Elementary.

On Friday, Chance met with Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to discuss public school funding. A flustered Chano left the meeting, saying he was given “vague” answers. Apparently, that only continued during phone calls over the weekend.

“While I’m frustrated and disappointed in the governor’s inaction,” Chance said on the podium, “that will not stop me from continuing to do all I can in supporting Chicago’s most valuable resource: its children.” Before the press conference ended, he added: “Governor Rauner, do your job.”

Rauner has been criticized for vetoing a bill that would have given CPS an additional $215 million in state funding. Now, Chance says the fight for more funding isn’t over. The Rapper revealed that he is still in talks with “people of influence, corporations, and anybody that’s willing to help bring light to the situation, and also to commit to changing Chicago.”